Council can make you demolish or rectify works:
Council can force you to rectify works to comply or they may ask you to demolish them completely. They can also issue you with fines.
You cannot get insurance for illegal works:
Your home is often your most valuable asset, insurance companies will not cover illegal building works.
The approval process means there are enough inspections to ensure that the build complies with the standards and is structurally sound.
This protects you from many forms of harm such as poor installation of electrical wiring that can be a risk or poor waterproofing.
You can't get home warranty insurance for illegal building work:
Work on homes is normally covered by home builders compensation cover (HBC), this is a safety net that provides compensation to owners faced with incomplete and defective building work. Failing to take out HBC is an offence under NSW law. Builders must provide proof of their HBC cover to the customer before starting work or asking for payment or a deposit.
What happens if your builder gets injured on your illegal building work site?
You are legally liable for any injuries your builder has on your illegal work site. Safework NSW also has the power to shut the site down.
How does illegal work effect resale value?
Illegal building work can drastically effect resale value as home buyers do not want the risk and liability of having to pay large council fines or to spend money rectifying or demolishing parts of the building. They are also concerned because they can not insure the illegal works.
Good Architect values compliance
Good Architect are registered architects and will not be involved in illegal building work. Our values of creativity, integrity and quality and also the NSW Architects Code of Conduct requires us to act with integrity and within the legal and regulative framework in NSW and Australia. This protects our clients from the possible risks and harms that illegal building work can cause.
The Australian Standards and National Building Code have been developed to protect people from fire, leaks and other hazards, and the approval system is how compliance with these standards is implemented.
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